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☆ British semiconductor bosses threaten to move overseas as U.S. and EU splurge on chips
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government is yet to announce a strategy outlining U.K. efforts to support the chip industry. And semiconductor bosses in the country are growing frustrated. Pragmatic Semiconductor, a Cambridge-based startup that produces non-silicon chips, warned it may be forced to relocate overseas if the government doesn't issue a plan for the industry soon. The EU, meanwhile, has earmarked 43 billion euros ($45.9 billion) for Europe's semiconductor industry with the aim of producing 20% of the world's semiconductors by 2030. In December, the country was said to be preparing a more than 1 trillion yuan ($147 billion) package for its chip industry, according to Reuters.

☆ Bill Gates says no country ‘gets an A’ for its Covid pandemic response—including the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Bill Gates says some of the world's governments have handled the spread of Covid-19 better than others, but the billionaire won't give any country a perfect mark. The Microsoft co-founder and health care philanthropist has both praised and criticized multiple world governments' responses to the pandemic since the coronavirus's initial spread in late 2019. Poor Covid responses inspired government spending on future pandemic preparedness in multiple countries, he observed. Gates also applauded Australia's pandemic response last year, noting that the country quickly closed its international borders in March 2020. The U.S. gave that money to companies in multiple countries, resulting in multiple effective Covid vaccines.

[1/2] Zhao Changpeng, founder and chief executive officer of Binance speaks during an event in Athens, Greece, November 25, 2022. REUTERS/Costas BaltasATHENS, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Binance Chief Executive Officer Changpeng Zhao said on Friday regulation rather than opposition of the crypto sector is a better option for world governments as digital currencies become more mainstream. Regulation of crypto currencies has come into sharp focus following the collapse of several platforms, culminating in the crash of the FTX currency exchange earlier this month. It's better to regulate the industry instead of trying to fight against it," Zhao said, speaking at a Binance event in Athens. Asked whether he saw countries adding crypto currencies such as Bitcoin to their reserves in the future, Zhao said he expected countries to start, particularly those which did not have their own currency.

☆ G20 agrees to pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to 1.5C
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Delegates at the U.N. climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where progress towards an agreement by the end of the week has been slow, have been watching the G20 summit closely for signs that developed nations are willing to make new commitments on climate. "We resolve to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C. This will require meaningful and effective actions and commitment by all countries," the G20 statement said. It also made reference to the need to accelerate "efforts towards the phasedown of unabated coal power, in line with national circumstances and recognising the need for support towards just transitions." "We will play our part fully in implementing the (COP26) Glasgow Climate Pact," the G20 leaders said.

☆ Some countries have resisted 1.5°C goal in COP27 text, US says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Valerie Volcovici | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov 12 (Reuters) - A few countries have resisted mentioning a global goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius in the official text of the COP27 summit in Egypt, U.S. Special Climate Envoy John Kerry said at the conference on Saturday. There are very few countries, but a few, that have raised the issue of not mentioning this word or that word," Kerry said when asked about opposition by some governments to mentioning the 1.5C target. Breaching the 1.5C threshold risks unleashing the worst consequences of global warming. Many developing countries have demanded the establishment of a "loss and damage" fund that could disperse cash to countries struggling to recover from disasters. Kerry said the United States would not support establishing such a fund, and instead believed existing platforms should be used.

☆ Some countries have resisted 1.5°C goal in COP27 text, U.S. says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Valerie Volcovici | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] John Kerry, U.S. Special Envoy for Climate speaks as he attends the opening of the American Pavilion in the COP27 climate summit in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt November 8, 2022. REUTERS/Mohammed SalemSHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov 12 (Reuters) - A few countries have resisted mentioning a global goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius in the official text of the COP27 summit in Egypt, U.S. Special Climate Envoy John Kerry said at the conference on Saturday. There are very few countries, but a few, that have raised the issue of not mentioning this word or that word," Kerry said when asked about opposition by some governments to mentioning the 1.5C target. Many developing countries have demanded the establishment of a "loss and damage" fund that could disperse cash to countries struggling to recover from disasters. Kerry said the United States would not support establishing such a fund, and instead believed existing platforms should be used.

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov 11 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden addressed the COP27 climate conference in Egypt on Friday, saying the global climate crisis posed an existential threat to the planet and promising that the United States was doing its part to combat it. "The climate crisis is about human security, economic security, environmental security, national security, and the very life of the planet," Biden said, before outlining steps the United States, the world’s second-biggest greenhouse gas emitter, was taking. It came even as a slew of crises - from a land war in Europe to rampant inflation - distract international focus. "Against this backdrop, it's more urgent than ever that we double down on our climate commitments. Upon arrival, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told U.S. President Joe Biden that Egypt has launched a national strategy for human rights and is keen to develop in that regard.

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov 11 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden told the COP27 climate conference in Egypt on Friday that global warming posed an existential threat to the planet and promised the United States would meet its targets for fighting it. "The climate crisis is about human security, economic security, environmental security, national security, and the very life of the planet," Biden told a crowded room of delegates at the U.N. summit in the seaside resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh. Biden said global crises, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, were not an excuse to lower climate ambition. U.S. President Joe Biden delivers a speech at COP27 climate summit, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, November 11, 2022. "It's radio silence on loss and damage finance," Singh said, calling Biden "out of touch with the reality of the climate crisis."

"There can be no effective climate policy without the peace," he said, highlighting the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on global energy supplies, food prices and Ukraine's forests. Ukraine is hosting an exhibition space this year for the first time at a U.N. climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. He criticised world leaders for paying lip service to climate change without delivering real change. "There are still many for whom climate change is just rhetoric or marketing ... but not real action," he said. A GREENER FUTUREMembers of Ukraine's delegation to COP27 said they hoped their presence drew global attention to the climate and environmental consequences of Russia's February invasion.

☆ Explainer: Why methane emissions are threatening climate stability
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Tim Cocks | Avi Asher-Schapiro | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Nov 3 (Reuters) - Methane emissions have emerged as a top threat to the global climate, with scientists and policymakers calling for aggressive action to curb the output. At last year's U.N. climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, more than 100 countries pledged a 30% cut from 2020 methane emissions levels by 2030. "If you're interested in the climate impacts, we'll be experiencing in 2050 ... you'd be absolutely screaming about methane emissions." WHERE IT COMES FROMThree-fifths of the world's estimated methane emissions are from human activity; the rest are from natural sources like swamps. The European Union recently endorsed labeling some natural gas projects as "green" in a major boost to the industry.

☆ Explainer: How methane leaks accelerate global warming
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Tim Cocks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Methane, the main component of natural gas, can leak from pipelines and drill sites, and is also emitted from farming and food waste. Scientists normally compare the warming effects of methane and carbon dioxide over one century, and over that timescale methane is 28 times worse. "If you're interested in the climate impacts we'll be experiencing in 2050 ... you'd be absolutely screaming about methane emissions." WHERE IT COMES FROMThree-fifths of the world's estimated methane emissions are from human activity; the rest, from natural sources like swamps. The European Union recently endorsed labeling some natural gas projects as "green" in a major boost to the industry.

China's foreign minister Wang Yi has toured the Pacific islands seeking security deals with them. In this op-ed, Görlach analyzes why China's moves are worrying so many different nations. Recently, China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, completed a tour of the Pacific islands, aiming to increase Beijing's influence in the region through security deals. China's goal is not to improve the quality of life for people in the Pacific, but to become the predominant power there. The deal that China proposed to the Pacific islands focused on security.

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